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The Last Poets

The Godfathers of Spoken Word Rap Poetry
De Centrale & VIERNULVIER
  • Thu 20.03
    20:30 - 23:00
    De Centrale (Kraankindersstraat 2, 9000 Gent)
    Tickets

De Centrale and VIERNULVIER welcome the legendary The Last Poets - Abiodun Oyewole, Felipe Luciano, Sharrif Simmons and Baba Don - in Ghent

On 19 May 1968, on Malcolm X's birthday, The Last Poets launched their verbal protest. Mixing poetry, jazz, political rap and early hip-hop, they established themselves as pioneers of revolutionary art even before rap existed as a genre. Their powerful voice against racism and poverty lives on in artists such as Nas, Common and Erykah Badu.

Although not all the original members still perform, Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan remain active - on 20 March, only Abiodun will be present. Their comeback in 2018 with the album ‘Understand What Black Is’, which fuses reggae and sharp lyrics, confirmed their unchanged passion for social themes.

Since the 1970s, The Last Poets continue to impress with their revolutionary poetry and socially conscious messages that continue to resonate toda

Following their successful comeback in 2018, The Last Poets released new album ‘Africanism’ in 2024. The project began in 2019 when Nigerian drummer Tony Allen laid the groundwork, but the corona pandemic caused a delay. On this album, Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan bring classic poems like ‘When The Revolution Comes’ to life. They address themes of inequality and racism, backed by top musicians from the afrobeat and jazz scene. The result is a unique blend of afrobeat, jazz and spoken word.

On 20 March - on the eve of World Poetry Day and the International Day Against Racism - we welcome The Last Poets in Ghent at De Centrale.